A/N: This chapter goes where KBS didn't or wouldn't go. My guess is many of you have been looking forward to this chapter. So, without further adieu, here's installment # 11.
Love Conquers All Ways
Chapter 11
The SeolSuDae hotel rests on a remote area on the southern tip of Korea. Despite its relatively isolated location, it's been known to house wayward guests of all stripes, including celebrities. One of its claims to fame is that it's one of the best locations in the whole country to take in a sunrise or sunset. In fact, SeolSuDae could reasonably claim to be one of the best hotels in Korea that many people have never heard of. It's within this backdrop that we find one particular couple making a much needed stay here.
The morning sun and all its glory shone on the hotel and its occupants. One of those occupants woke up from a very deep slumber. As she turned over onto her left side, she could clearly see a man lying next to her. With a loving smile, she gingerly brushed some hairs from his forehead before gently stroking his left cheek. She then silently made her way off the bed, found a robe, and put it on. She walked over to the window in the main room and breathlessly stared at the dawning sunrise. It was already quite a memorable morning for her.
Then, the aforementioned gentleman woke up from his blissful slumber. Within moments, a smile registered on his face upon realizing where he was. The fact that he was currently lying alone in bed didn't even faze him. He simply got up and walked to the main room to find his companion standing by the window. Soon, he completely enveloped her with a warm back hug and kissed her on the cheek.
"Good morning, my beautiful bride!" Joong Hee said.
"Good morning, my handsome husband!" Mi Young replied.
"Well, it's our first morning – our first day – of being together forever. How does it feel?" he asked.
"Like a dream. I wish that I could just . . . just stop time and stay like this forever" she said.
"Me too"
"By the way, you were amazing yesterday. But, I'm just glad it's over!" she stated with relief. He nodded in complete understanding.
As they reminisced about the previous day, they realized that they had indeed experienced similar emotions – namely nervousness mixed with anxiety. Many couples on their wedding day experience these feelings, so Joong Hee and Mi Young were certainly not unique. For Mi Young, yesterday started out like many other days. Although she understood the ramifications of the day ahead, she didn't really start to feel nerves until she arrived at the wedding hall. From that point forward, she seemed to be a walking bundle of nerves. It took much reassurance from her trusty sister bridesmaids to invoke any sense of calm within her. After some time, Mi Young was finally dressed in her wedding attire. As she stared in the mirror, she marveled at who she saw staring back at her. Although she had dreamed many times about this moment, she still couldn't quite believe that her fantasy had actually come true. More importantly, her appearance drew gasps of admiration from her sisters.
"Wow! Little sister, you look so beautiful!" Hye Young exclaimed.
"Unni! How come you always have to look more beautiful than me?" Ra Young said with a smile.
"Speak for yourself! I see someone here who's more . . . Oh who am I kidding? Agashi, you really are the most beautiful one here! I'm so envious!" Yoo Joo said.
"Do I really look Ok?" Mi Young inquired.
"Ok? When your fiancé sees you, he won't stand a chance!" Hye Young reassured her.
"You've got this, Unni!" Ra Young seconded.
"Agashi, I don't see how you can possibly be more beautiful than you are right now!" Yoo Joo offered.
"Thank you everyone." With that, she breathed a sigh of relief.
For Joong Hee, he woke up on his wedding day remarkably calm. It's as though he focused so much on the end that he didn't have time to be nervous. Had the wedding taken place in his apartment, he might have gotten away with this mindset. Unfortunately, like Mi Young, his inner self and outer countenance gave way to sudden nerves upon arriving at the wedding hall.
He met up with Jun Young and Jung Wan in a separate room. Although he was impeccably attired, his nervousness prompted him to walk back and forth for moments on end (it's a wonder he didn't burn a hole in the floor with his pacing). Finally, Jun Young offered to put a stop to Joong Hee's meandering.
"Ahn Joong! Will you get a grip? It's going to be all right!"
"It will be all right, yeah? Nothing bad will happen?" Joong Hee asked.
"Of course not! You're about to start a new life with a wonderful young lady. Of course nothing bad will happen!" Jung Wan offered.
"I . . . I can't feel my legs. How am I going to walk today?" Joong Hee wondered.
"Look! It's Ok to have some nerves. But, at some point, hopefully soon, you need to calm down and realize that you've got this. You just need to relax!" Jun Young reassured him.
"That's right. You walk down the aisle together, say your vows, kiss, and bang, you're married. Piece of cake!" Jung Wan remarked with a smile.
"One of you might need to carry me." Joong Hee said with a smirk. With a collective laugh, they knew that he would indeed be Ok.
Soon, all the invited guests filed into the hall. Although the gathering was small in number, Joong Hee and Mi Young took great pains to ensure that those who were invited represented the guests they truly wanted there. Indeed, with all the well wishes and goodwill permeating the hall, it became clear that they did an outstanding job with their invitees list.
As the appointed time neared, Joong Hee and Mi Young each made their way into a room dedicated for all of the wedding photos. As he stopped to stare at his bride, he marveled at how many times she could blow him away with her beauty. At that moment, she might as well have been a goddess to him. Likewise, Mi Young never tired of looking at him completely dressed up like a movie star. As the happy couple finally got together to pose for pictures, it crystallized how special their relationship truly was. With each yell of "kimchi" from the photographer, it became clear that the photos would encapsulate the amazing bond that they had and would continue to share for years to come.
Finally, the moment had arrived. As the guests took their seats, a sense of anxious anticipation filled the hall. Soon, Jun Young, serving as the wedding emcee, finally spoke.
"We are gathered here today for the wedding of Ahn Joong Hee and Lee Mi Young. Bride and groom, please enter!"
With those words, Joong Hee and Mi Young made their way from the back and onto the main aisle. As they slowly stepped forward arm in arm, they could hear and feel the well wishes from all the guests as they passed by. Although the aisle seemed like a marathon in length, they knew that as long as they took their time, nothing would go wrong. In fact, after a while, they might actually have started to enjoy walking steadily like that because they were now inseparable. As they finally made their way to the end of the aisle, Jun Young spoke again.
"We will now have the exchange of vows. Groom, please begin!"
Feeling the enormity of the moment, Joong Hee took a long, deep breath before he began.
"Mi Young-ah. I know I've said it many times before. But, I'll say it one more time. The love we have is truly righteous. I couldn't see that before when we first met. But, in time, I've realized that loneliness is not just an emotion. It's a disease – one that I knew I needed to get rid of. And then you came along and made my loneliness go away. As your husband, I not only promise to take care of you in all ways. I promise to be true to you, to be good to you, and to always be there for you – just as you have been for me. I love you, Mi Young-ah"
"Bride, please proceed!" Jun Young said.
Just like Joong Hee, Mi Young needed a deep breath before she could start her vows.
"Joong Hee-shi. There was a time in my life that I truly believed that I would never experience love. Only in my dreams did I see myself getting married. When we first met, I couldn't have imagined how our relationship would turn out. But, over time, I've come to see that our love wasn't a fluke. It was truly meant to be. As I've gotten to know the real you, I understood that the man I've always dreamed of being with was right in front of me. Just as you've shown your love to me in so many ways, I promise to share my love with you unconditionally. I also promise to be a good wife that will take good care of you. I want us to be happy forever. I love you, Joong Hee-shi"
By now, there was hardly a dry eye to be seen in the entire hall. The genuineness of their vows struck a chord with everyone in attendance. After they placed rings on each other's fingers, the coup de grace finally arrived.
"Ahn Joong Hee and Lee Mi Young are now husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!" Jun Young said.
With such a build up, they stared at each other just as they had before their first kiss months ago. Still, this kiss carried far more symbolism than the latter. With great anticipation, the guests eagerly watched as the now married couple sealed their nuptials with a kiss that elicited universal applause and happiness. Husband and wife at last!
As everyone gathered together for the grand family photo, uncle Young Shik set everyone in the best position in order to capture the perfect picture. Soon, everyone had a copy of the treasured memoir to remember this joyful occasion.
As the newly married couple finally made their way outside, they were followed by the throng of guests. They gradually made their way to his car as each successive person offered well wishes and future happiness for the couple. After a few more words and waves were exchanged, they finally set off as husband and wife - a fortuitous start to their new life together.
After they had driven a while, they stopped at a roadside to get a quick bite and take a bathroom break. Soon, they were back on the road. Although Joong Hee knew exactly where they were headed, his new bride was completely unaware.
"Joong Hee-shi?"
"Hmmmmm?"
"Where are we going exactly?"
"You'll find out!"
"When?"
"In a couple of hours maybe. In the meantime, just enjoy the ride, my wonderful bride!"
As they arrived at their destination, Mi Young was speechless at what she saw. Just like the JoonMinbak restaurant, she had heard many great things about the SeolSuDae hotel. She just couldn't believe that this is where she and her husband were going to spend their first night of marital bliss. As she got out of the car, she couldn't stop smiling.
"We're here! Didn't I promise I'd take care of you?" Joong Hee beamed.
"Let's go inside!" Mi Young said without hesitation.
As they arrived at the front lobby, they made arrangements to procure a secluded, private room on the 4th floor. Before entering their room, Joong Hee made a point to lift Mi Young and carry her into the room. Although she found bemusement in the gesture, she was touched nevertheless. As he successfully carried her from the hallway, into the room, and finally onto the bed, he took a moment to sit on the bed as well. He then settled their luggage before finally tending to his bride.
"It's done, Mi Young-ah. We've done it."
"Yes. We're now together forever!"
"I love you!"
"I love you more!"
Although they'd had plenty of romantic moments to date, they understood that there was another level of intimacy for them to experience. With the right level of both care and sensitivity, their first night together far exceeded any expectations beforehand. It's no wonder that they missed one amazing sunset. But, they would just make up for it by watching a sunrise together early this morning.
"What a sunrise. They weren't lying about the view in this place!" Mi Young remarked.
"I'll say! It's worth the drive over here, don't you think?" Joong Hee responded.
As she nodded her head, she said, "Do me one favor"
"Anything, my love!"
"I said I wanted to stop time. Just hold me like this! Don't let me go. "
Of course, he was all too happy to oblige. After all, he had made a vow the day before that he would be good to her no matter what. If she wanted him to hold her close, then it was a small price to pay for their eternal bliss. With the happiness and joy filling their hearts this morning, they knew that the sun wasn't just rising for the whole nation. No, this particular sunrise belonged to the two of them. And they would enjoy it as husband and wife – inseparable to the last.
A/N: What do you think? Please keep the reviews coming!